In the Air: What’s Happening at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival

With 184 films on the program, a good deal of the A-list in attendance, and a party scene that rivals Cannes, Sundance has come a long way from its days as Robert Redford’s little film festival that could. We spent a tireless few days in Park City, ping-ponging from screening to panel discussion to cast dinner to after-hours bash (to after-after-hours bash). Along the way, we took note of the on- and off-screen elements that are shaping this year’s festival experience. Here’s what people are seeing, sampling, and talking about in Park City this year.

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Manhattan nightlife impresarios Matt Kliegman and Carlos Quirarte re-created their popular downtown club the Westway, at 625 Main Street, complete with newspaper-covered windows, glittering walls, and their signature disco ball in the shape of a woman’s bust. Along with hosting premiere parties like the Daniel Radcliffe vehicle Kill Your Darlings, the pop-up offers a late-night alternative to the festival’s high-octane club circuit.

A standout from Sundance’s gauntlet of gifting suites, the Burton Experience offers VIP festivalgoers a much-needed breath of fresh air. Outfitted with the snowboard label’s latest models and gear, participants have been hitting the slopes of nearby Park City Mountain with pro riders Jack Mitrani, Jeremy Jones, Zak Hale, and Gabi Viteri.

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Attempting to hail a cab on the festival’s central artery, Main Street, is something of a fool’s errand. Thankfully, Uber, the app that enables users to summon a chauffeured SUV with a tap of a touch screen (which has changed the going-out game in cities across the country) has arrived in Park City. Unsurprisingly, the service has been a hit with industry types and festival attendees alike, especially those with a sweet tooth; choose the cocoa function when available and a car bearing two freshly made hot chocolates arrives at your doorstep within minutes ($15 for two). uber.com

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Until the Sunday premiere of his richly textured outlaw saga Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, writer-director David Lowery has flown largely under the radar (a previous feature failed to gain much traction). Now in classic Sundance fashion, the Texas-based auteur is being hailed as the next Terrence Malick by critics who point to his lyric sense of pacing and impressionist eye. The film itself, which stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck as thwarted lovers, also earned its producers the Sundance Institute’s prestigious Indian Paintbrush grant.

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Although Park City’s frigid climes are hardly conducive to skin-baring ensembles, this year’s red-carpet trend toward trousers is too salient to chalk up to the temperature drop alone. At their respective premieres, Naomi Watts (Two Mothers) and Julianne Moore (Don Jon’s Addiction) opted for form-fitting black leather looks while Rooney Mara (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) chose a pair of baggy tapered pants. Brit Marling, meanwhile, joined her The East costars in a monochromatic ensemble from Proenza Schouler’s pre-fall collection.

Photo: Joe Scarnici, George Pimentel, Jeff Vespa/Getty Images

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Indie filmmakers have always had knack for pushing the envelope but they may have outdone themselves this year. The wealth of erotically charged material in 2013’s batch of entries ranges from depictions of the pornography industry (The Look of Love, Lovelace) to unsavory May/December trysts (Two Mothers, A Teacher) to James Franco’s latest provocation (Kink, Interior. Leather Bar). Some programming has been so bold, in fact, that it has drawn the ire of a conservative Utah think tank who petitioned the state to revoke its funding for the festival.

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Fans of L.A. carnivore magnet Animal were pleased to discover an outpost of the restaurant tucked inside the Village at the Lift. Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, devised a special brunch/lunch menu for the occasion with original creations like Thai-flavored sunny-side-up eggs. Given Animal’s hotspot status, it’s no surprise that Adrian Grenier and Lake Bell have been spotted among patrons. aroadtree.com

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A standing ovation is the highest honor a film-festival audience can bestow upon a movie (not to mention a good indication that a distribution deal is forthcoming). Hence, Morgan Neville was beaming on Thursday when the premiere of his documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom, which profiles a group of professional backup vocalists, brought viewers to their feet with applause. Later that night Harvey Weinstein’s company Radius snapped up rights to the film.

Photo: Graham Willoughby, Tremolo Productions

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Although Mackenzie Davis is no stranger to casting directors (she just wrapped The F Word with Daniel Radcliffe and is currently shooting Are We Officially Dating? with Zac Efron), the willowy actress now has the better part of Sundance buzzing thanks to her impressive turn as Guy Pearce’s daughter in Drake Doremus’s slow-burn drama, Breathe In. “Can you believe she just walked into an open audition?” said Doremus at the film’s Saturday premiere party, clearly still in awe of his good fortune.